why celebrity activism does more harm than good

As recent research has shown, the problem with celebrity causes is that they tend to de-politicise activism. Andrs has worked for NGOs in Costa Rica and Uganda in the fields of transitional justice and conflict transformation, his writings featuring in Waging Nonviolence and The Peace and Conflict Monitor . I was involved with Invisible Children since 2006 but around 2009-2010, I had begun to see a major shit in their mission and strategies, which I no longer supported. Locking broken people up for decades often makes them worse. . Making the case for YES is Andrs Jimnez . According to Global Citizen, while celebrities are entirely capable of using their platforms for self-serving initiatives and many often do, there have been a myriad of figures who have not only financially supported important causes, but have made the effort to initiate tangible change and even see it through to completion. Ask yourself why you even care about this conflict in the first place? One way is a disinvestment in ones own capabilities and potential. In some instances, celebrities can cause more harm than good because of their insincere intentions or bad reputations. So popular, the article claims, that superstardom seems to require some sort of alignment with a cause or even an entire country in need. Here are some powerful examples of the complexities of intervening in international conflicts which might help you better understand the point I tried to make in the article: http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/whats-wrong-with-the-bill-gates-bono-approach-to-saving-the-world.html, http://blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/01/10/is_george_clooney_helping. Actor George Clooney has taken great interest in Darfur; Madonna and Oprah Winfrey have embraced the fight for girls education in Africa, while Angelina Jolie knocks at the doors of the major centers of power as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador to promote support for humanitarian relief. Now its back to fight for nothing short of abolition. We can begin to see clearly the ways that celebrity culture, idolization and individualism impact how we value ourselves, our comrades, and less visible leaders when we reflect on how we discuss and relate to many of our most visible movement leaders. The gesture is nice, but Thunbergs choice hurts the environment more. These people are the Nicholas Kristofs and the Jeffry Sachses of the world who often find their self-assurance and sense of certainty in their Ivy League educations, in the power that their positions grant them or in the titles that they hold. We need leaders who guide, facilitate, initiate, coordinate, listen, commit, clarify, and follow-through. When all of us are aspiring to be the most visible and charismatic leaders of a movement, we tend to see behind-the-scenes work, tedious, time and energy-consuming tasks like logistics planning as stepping stones on our ways to greatness, and not as independently valuable. You find like-minded people. How, according to Jimenez, Being told that you have an urgent responsibility to act in order to help solve a conflict that you hardly even knew existed in the first place is the first step down a slippery slope of continuous despair, wasted goodwill and neo-colonialism. Two, the actual purpose of posting a black image in the first place. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. facebook. Any action taken toward this end is therefore righteous and will to put us a step closer to fixing the problem; surely any little bit of help must be better than nothing. A3F1C265-A945-4BA3-A3E3-28A92E8EDE68.png - 8:21 4 a [1' I 4 Drive Essay 4. There are two issues here: One, the actual tags used on Blackout Tuesday posts. Any action taken toward this end is therefore righteous and will to put us a step closer to fixing the problem; surely any little bit of help must be better than nothing. As we work to be free of a culture of punishment/revenge, we also have to confront the other side. Hi Ho! As I listened to the mens account of how the crowds anger turned to violence, I could hardly keep myself from thinking how emblematic and representative such an event was of countless celebrity-fueled, do-good awareness campaigns that I had already had the misfortune to witness over the years. This structure glorifies the productivity of individual organizers, pushing them to neglect self-care, rest, reflection, personal boundaries, and to undervalue community care practices, ultimately facilitating burn out and often leading to further harm. According to a 2015 article in The Guardian, celebrity activism has become far more popular over the years. We should begin, above all, by focusing on the creative energy already present among the local actors in a conflict in order to discover context-specific strategies that can help us to transform it. Just the other day on the radio I heard one of the actors from Orange Is the New Black saying really important and powerful stuff about the prison-industrial complex. If only enough people knew and cared about a certain conflict or problem, the assumption goes, then the combined energy and support could be harnessed in order to trigger an immediate flood of solutions. The video had profoundly upset a significant amount of those present that evening, and a riot broke out. On the flip side, this way of engaging in someones work or analysis also places far too much weight and expectation on what any one person or one groups framework can reasonably accomplish. They can use their fame to make international events known. Activism may be misused by radical forces. We treat this subject and the negative unintended consequences in our 6-episode DVD Series on poverty and development. I have no solution for this dilemma, but I do believe that most effective strategies that address this issue are highly context specific and are organically generated from the creative energy present within the local communities. We have to acknowledge celebrity culture and how it stretches well beyond formal celebrities and into our movements, organizations, groups, relationships just as punishment does. Some would say that it's the symbols that are important - if Emma Thompson's message is heard, it's worth it in the long run. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. . Why Celebrity Activism Does More Harm Than Good 3. But I believe that people would be much more accepting of causes if it is not forced upon them by activist groups. Full confession I never used to buy into global warning and the need for environmental protection. Crucially, celebrities may use soft power techniques to facilitate a 'politics of attraction' to reconfigure concepts of global identity, citizenship and solidarity. This past Sunday night, "Jackass" star Steve-O climbed up a crane in Los Angeles, carrying an inflatable orca whale. But the new documentary, alongside other pieces of research, shows the very real and devastating effect of this simplified rendering of the facts. Your email address will not be published. Leonardo DiCaprio, one of Hollywoods biggest proponents of climate change, continues to use a mega yacht and private planes. We also have to put the mirror to ourselves and understand that this is really a reflection of who we are as a society.. When we dont see the principled and discipled collective actions many of our leaders engaged in prior to becoming well-known, which significantly contributed to the sharpness of their analysis, the impact of their actions, and the consistency and longevity of their participation in anti-oppressive struggles, we paint a picture that our leader somehow became this way on their own, overnight. Well said. But what are the consequences, and is this something we necessarily want to promote? 2023 Copyright The Boar. They also come out of personal experience with social dynamics Ive witnessed, been impacted by, and been a participant of that I believe would strengthen our social justice movements to change. Why Celebrity Activism Does More Harm Than Good 3. Binary thinking makes it even easier for us to perpetuate idealizing and idolizing our certain leaders while we discard and disavow others, leaving little wiggle room between the two. He lives and works in San Jose, Costa Rica. I want to see us hold ourselves and our leader in the full potential of each others humanity, something I do not see us doing when we place individuals on pedestals, refusing to hold space for potential mistakes, let-downs, and harm we all of the potential to cause. To first lay some groundwork, mainstream celebrity culture is rooted in violent and oppressive systems, and perpetuates falsehoods that argue human connection and value is most efficiently achieved and effectively experienced through commodified goods, individual success, and popularity. How Can the Peace Movement Be More Effective? Three factors seem to be: 1) capitalist funding models, 2) uninspiring non-profits, and 3) experiencing personal, physical, emotional, or spiritual overwhelm. Should we question the motives of celebrities who hire expensive PR experts to sell their convictions? We do not need celebrities who we idolize or idealize, who we dont feel comfortable questioning, who we dont feel safe challenging. The goal of it is not to criticize our movement leaders or tear down our movements. British politician William Hague with actor and UNHCR special envoy Angelina Jolie in the Democratic Republic of Congo. "While it's good all of these celebrities stepped up, they inadvertently pinpointed a major issue in celebrity activism: White celebs get the privilege to take their time to speak about issues that don't affect them. Allowing space for the potential of certain leaders to cause harm left me feeling vulnerable, conflicted, and defensive. If you do decide to take that leap, then start by listening rather than preaching, facilitating rather than commanding, cooperating rather than defeating, creating organically rather than planning mechanically, and seeking to unsettle the status quo rather than trying to control it in its entirety. And then theres Jay Z, who took the time to respond to Harry Belafontes criticism that todays celebrities have turned their back on social responsibility with this: This is going to sound arrogant, but my presence is charity. We also cannot transform how our movements and the leaders within them relate to one another through individual response or action. Social media is a reflection of society, she says. email Rancho Cucamonga High. A stark example of this is provided in the new documentary, We Will Win Peace, which tracks the impact of Section 1502 of the USs Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Celebrity eco-activism really undermines the cause, and that's a truly harmful consequence. (modern). Either a person or their analysis is absolutely flawless and applicable in every situation, leaving no reason to question or challenge, explore otherwise, or develop our own thought, or it is flawed and therefore not worth engaging in. Here's What an Expert Thinks. who act philanthropically or use their social media audiences as a platform to speak to social issues. They too often obscure the complex dynamics of power and socioeconomic relations in favour of a simple, catch all, solution. The rise of the digital saviour: can Facebook likes change the world? When we see stories such as these, your response can only be disbelief sure, they claim that climate change is a major issue thatll affect our future, but they arent quite concerned enough to curb their own lifestyles. Which leaders we do and do not select into celebrity status is connected also to visibility and absolutely intertwined with oppressive structures. Peace and justice organizations, as well as universities, publish their own independent content on Waging Nonviolence. It is harmful and dehumanizes all involved. Image: Office of the Governor General / Wikimedia Commons. They are currently part of a collective living project, Brick & Mortar Collective, as well as a creative disability justice collective, Relentless Bodies. It can feel comforting to believe that even if we cannot be the super human we think we need to be in order to contribute valuably, at least someone else out there can; that one persons vision is the only one we need in order to achieve collective liberation. It makes an impact, but not in the ways . Whose voices are you listening to about it? We see these forms of engagement lead to fragmented relationships, uncoordinated movements, and the formation of social cliques. This can look like expecting our leaders to always be available, always be working, to conflate our leaders with their work, to view them as incomplete without it. The fans who look up to them may change their own approach towards their mental health.. It is not meant to focus on mainstream celebrities. This is because they draw on the self-serving guilt trips that lead many people to believe that their privileged position has invested them with the burden and the responsibility to save those less fortunate from their plight. Many non-profits dont elect leadership or have clear, effective structures to keep us aligned with community-defined vision and goals and remove or take other accountability measures when they fail or cause harm. Ahead of going public, offering their insights and opinions, even those celebrities most willing to exercise their right to freedom of expression are likely to have sought wise counsel. In addition to everything named here, applying celebrity culture to our movement spaces weighs heavily on how much and if we value care, healing, and other under-recognized and historically-feminized work including logistics planning, cleaning and space-creating, etc. I believe the question posed in the video about how do we connect our good intentions and desire to help with things that actually work is spot on. Anthropological critics have argued that specific kinds of activism can do more harm than good by imagining people in the "wrong" kind of subject position. YES, says Andrs Jimnez, celebrity activism can do more harm than good. This is because they draw on the self-serving guilt trips that lead many people to believe that their privileged position has invested them with the burden and the responsibility to save those less fortunate from their plight. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. Sadly those excluded voices are not so easy to hear. In this piece, Im specifically referring to dynamics within social justice movements in the United States. In particular, I would like to acknowledge and express my appreciations for Sariah Metcalfe, Ian Matchett, Teiana McGahey and Owolabi Aboyade for your support, input, and collaboration, and for being continuous thought partners with me in a struggle towards liberation. Speaking from personal experience and drawing from conversations Ive had with a few trusted comrades, when organizers are working with less than we need, running on fumes while facing problems bigger than all of us, it is often difficult to accept our own limitations. Won't specify causes because that'll cause controversy. It is this mindset that has motivated celebrities like the rock star Bono to take up the causes of debt cancelation, the increase in foreign aid and the promotion of the Millennium Development Goals. Star power - but does the intervention of George Clooney etc.do more harm than good? At that point, responses to unaddressed trauma and burn out had expanded into frequent panic attacks and migraines, dangerous weight loss, and rashes developing under my eyes and on my chest among other symptoms. Whose voices are you listening to about it? Almost towards the end you said: My experience working with armed conflicts and humanitarian crises has shown me the disastrous effects that such views tend to have on the ground. However, although I read the whole article, I couldnt find what precisely those disastrous effects you mention are. We prefer with a note at the top of the article. Right on, Leo! Being told that you have an urgent responsibility to act in order to help solve a conflict that you hardly even knew existed in the first place is the first step down a slippery slope of continuous despair, wasted goodwill and neo-colonialism. It is an offering to strengthen where we are unsteady, and build on where we are succeeding within many of our social justice movements and spaces. Thank you to the many friends and comrades who have engaged in vulnerable conversation with me around these ideas. I admired their ability to financially sustain themselves from their work before celebrating their contributions to principled struggle, and I was often more focused on their personal lifestyle choices rather than their commitment to liberation. It has also served as a place to present leaders and their impacts (current and historic) through a lens of individualism. DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. Let us admit that the celebrities involvement does some good despite the problems involved. Nobody likes being lectured by a hypocrite, and its the Earth thats losing out in the process. But in that case, it was . And, most importantly, why should you become involved? However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the GO TO ORIGINAL links. The video had profoundly upset a significant amount of those present that evening, and a riot broke out. Putting someone on a pedestal is not caring for them. I see the dynamics between large social movements and their leaders manifesting a certain category of leadership Ive recently been referring to as the celebrity activist; a leader who is idolized, placed on a pedestal, and generally engaged with through an ideology of individualism. Activism Pros. What better way to liberate ourselves from this burden than by taking up a global cause in a far-away land, and who better to show us the way to do it than our favorite celebrities? Our movements have experienced this over and over. TV personality Kim Kardashian and model Naomi Campbell take a selfie in 2016. There are a lot of reasons why celebrity culture and individualism are so present in our movements. It erases away our humanity: our human complexities and contradictions; our human capacity for growth, change and transformation, our human capacity for both harm and love. Mia Mingus (IG). Through the current pandemic, many grassroots efforts are already redirecting their attention and actions, placing the focus on mutual aid and building spaces and practices that facilitate connection and trust; We are developing stronger clarity of collective values, and an unwillingness to bend in our practices or leave any of our comrades behind. With the embrace of complexity we are able to discover that the way we seek to approach and work within a conflict must be incredibly flexible and diverse. Also, you ignore the progressive activism of some celebrities, who have fought for . Unfortunately, many of the policies and remedies promoted by this ever-growing influx of celebrity activists have been heavily criticized for being paternalistic, detached from reality and often dangerously counterproductive. Rather, it is to critique an aspect of our movement culture; how we treat our leaders, the pedestals we build to place them on, and the ways this impacts our relationships to ourselves, each other, and our movements. Ive lost count of friends and fellow movement collaborators who have abruptly left positions at social justice-oriented non-profits, exhausted from navigating harm, enduring violence, having their opinions, contributions, or ideas go unvalued, unacknowledged or claimed by bosses, or simply working hard and feeling no sense that they are making a difference. TMS Edtior receives prize for Peace and Social Justice, TRANSCEND Track Record on Conflict Solution 19582018. As I sat in the stands of Pece Stadium in the northern Uganda town of Gulu on a sunny Sunday morning, a couple of young men made their way close to where I was sitting. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. Introduced in 2010 and championed by celebrities from Ben Affleck to Nicole Richie, the ruling required companies to disclose their use of conflict minerals originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country. As a result of participating in these systems, I had internalized the harmful idea that the large majority, if not entirety, of my worth was grounded in my ability to be both productive and available. Why is this Happening? Why celebrity eco-hypocrites are doing more harm than good. I think that our well intentioned desire to help can be fulfilled in the degree to which we can become facilitators of community action and actors that seek to disturb the system, but never to direct or control it. What is already being tried by local actors on the ground? It leads to a shift from thinking of someone as a valuable part of a larger, collective movement, into idealizing their efforts, personal lives, personalities, and relationships, thinking of them as the individualized personification of an entire social movement. To find articles by the same author, please click on the name. Roger Waters Questioned in Depth about Ukraine, Russia, Israel, U.S. . Andrs has worked for NGOs in Costa Rica and Uganda in justice and conflicts. We argue, however, that the project of finding the "right" subject . Others, however, view celebrity activists as inspirational role models who are truly passionate about their causes. Yeah, theres a sense in which your damned if you do and damned if you dont. Three factors seem to be: 1) capitalist funding models, 2) uninspiring non-profits, and 3) experiencing personal, physical, emotional, or spiritual overwhelm. The mainstream funding model in the U.S is steeped in capitalist notions, assigning those with resources the authority to define (in a social context) who is and is not important expressed by what work, people, and locations receives funding and other resource support. We begin to equate having a lack of boundaries with proving our commitment to struggle. They deserve our attention, respect, and engagement, but they deserve to experience this in a way that is not disengaged from their humanity, or the humanity of those supporting and engaging them. We are weeding out unsustainable results disguised as solutions, and encouraging each other to envision futures that are breath-taking and irresistible before they are reasonable or palatable to discouraging perspectives or oppressive forces. Could you please elaborate on that? September 17, 2020 4:44 PM EDT. The backing of an campaign like Stop Hate for Profit is not in fact necessary to make an impact, Tyree says, but it helps to have an established set of goals and ideas to back up the posts. Celebrity-led campaigns do often prove to be highly successful in generating broad public support. Whether its Black Lives Matter or the #MeToo movement, people are taking to social media to voice their opinions and really call attention to some of the issues that have been problematic in U.S. society in past years and now, Tyree says. Certainly Harry Belafonte stands out as clear example of a well-known personality whose activism work has significantly advanced the fight for civil-rights in the United States. This issue is defined and analyzed thoroughly in the report, 12 Recommendations for Detroit Funders, put together by Allied Media Projects and the current Design Team of the Transforming Power Fund, a community-led fund that, through practice, is creating a template to address some of the funding issues named above. mastodon Theres a general sense of moral superiority among these people that means they dont see harm in their own actions. By channeling their energy into the Obidient movement, Nigerias anti-police brutality activists have turned a fringe political party into a powerful force for change.

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